Formal lessons and translation apps will likely tell you that sayōnara is “goodbye” in Japanese. But the reality is that you’re more likely to say mata ne (“see you soon”) to a friend or osaki ni shitsurei shimasu (“excuse me for leaving ahead of you”) to a coworker.
If you think about how often you say the word “goodbye” in your daily life, you may realize that you use several other phrases instead, depending on the situation. The same is true for Japanese farewells, so it helps to know how to say “goodbye” in Nihongo (“Japanese”) to anyone from your host mother to your taxi driver.
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When to use (and when not to use) sayōnara to say ‘goodbye’
Even though sayōnara (pronounced sah-yoh-nah-rah) is the textbook translation for “goodbye,” it’s rarely used in everyday life in Japan. But it is the only way to truly say “goodbye,” as the more common options used in Japan better translate to “bye” in English.
- Sayōnara.（さようなら。）= Goodbye.
You usually only use sayōnara for rare situations like:
- saying goodbye with finality or the anticipation that you won’t see the other person/people again
- graduations, retirements, and other events that are typically associated with parting ways
- jokingly saying goodbye to things you will never see again (like saying “farewell, unread messages” as you clean out your inbox)
- students saying goodbye to their teachers and vice versa (especially at young ages)
Outside of those specific situations, sayōnara sounds like the “goodbye” will be long-term or permanent. Since that’s not usually the case, it can come off as dramatic or dismissive.
How do you say ‘bye’ in Japan?
Instead of sayōnara, you should use more specific terms in your everyday life to say “bye” that depend on the situation. Ask yourself why you’re saying “bye,” who you’re saying it to, and when you’re saying it, to figure out the right word to use.
| Japanese | When To Use | English |
| jā ne （じゃあね） | When saying “bye” casually | See you |
| mata ne （またね） | When saying “bye” casually | See you again soon |
| bai bai （バイバイ） | When saying “bye” to friends (feminine/youthful) | Bye-bye |
| ki o tsukete ne （気を付けてね） | When you want to wish someone well | Take care |
| Ittekimasu （行ってきます） | When you leave home, your workspace, or other “home base” | I’ll be back |
| Itterasshai （いってらっしゃい） | When saying “bye” to someone who is leaving home, their workspace, or other “home base” | See you when you get back |
| arigatō gozaimashita （ありがとうございました） | When thanking and saying “bye” to someone who has provided a service (like taxi drivers) | Thank you |
| gochisōsama deshita （ごちそうさまでした） | When leaving a restaurant or other place where you ate a meal | Thank you for the meal |
| osaki ni shitsurei shimasu （お先に失礼します） | When saying “bye” to your superiors at work | Excuse me for leaving ahead of you |
| otsukaresama deshita （お疲れ様でした） | When saying “bye” to your peers at work | Thanks for your hard work |
Say jā ne for a casual ‘see you’
The simplest way to say “bye” is to say jā ne (じゃあね), which essentially means “well then.” (You might see it spelled phonetically as jaa ne.)
- Jā ne, chiyo chan!（じゃあね、千代ちゃん！）= See you, Chiyo!
Say mata ne for a casual ‘see you again soon’
The word mata (mah-tah) literally means “again,” so the expression mata ne (またね) is a casual goodbye with a suggestion that you’ll see the person again—probably sooner rather than later. You can also swap the ne for na (な) to make it a little more masculine.
- Jā, mata ne, Kenta kun.（じゃあ、またね、健太君。）= Well, see you again soon, Kenta.
- Un, mata na.（うん、またな。）= Yeah, see you.
This simple structure means you can add general or specific times (like days of the week in Japanese) to specify when you’ll see someone.
| Japanese | Romanization | Pronunciation | English |
| また後で！ | Mata ato de! | mah-tah ah-toh deh | See you later! |
| また明日！ | Mata ashita! | mah-tah ahsh-tah | See you tomorrow! |
| また月曜日！ | Mata getsuyōbi! | mah-tah geh-tsoo-yoh-bee | See you Monday! |
| また来週！ | Mata raishū! | mah-tah rah-ee-shoo | See you next week! |
| また来年！ | Mata rainen! | mah-tah rah-ee-nehn | See you next year! |
Bai bai is equal to the very casual ‘bye-bye’
Exactly as it sounds, bai bai (バイバイ) borrows the English word “bye-bye” to create a Japanese slang expression for “goodbye.” Generally speaking, it has a feminine and/or youthful connotation, so keep that in mind when deciding whether or not to use it yourself.
- Bai bai! Mata ashita ne!（バイバイ！また明日ね！）= Bye-bye! See you tomorrow!
Say ki o tsukete ne to tell someone to ‘take care’
Ki o tsukete ne (kee oh tsoo-keh-teh neh) is a thoughtful way to say “bye,” but it also means “be careful.” Whether there’s an immediate reason for the person to watch out for themselves or not, the intention is that you’re wishing them well.
- Samui kara, ki o tsukete ne!（寒いから、気を付けてね！）= It’s cold out, so take care!
The more formal version is oki o tsukete kudasai (お気を付けてください), but you can still add a particle ne to the end if you want to keep the friendly tone.
Say ittekimasu (‘I’ll be back’) when you’re leaving temporarily
Literally meaning “I’ll go and come back,” ittekimasu (eet-teh-kee-mahs) is an appropriate expression for home, work, or school—whenever you’re leaving the place you currently belong with an intention to return soon.
- Okāsan, ittekimasu.（お母さん、行ってきます。）= I’ll be back, Mom.
Say itterasshai (’see you when you get back’) when someone else leaves temporarily
When someone says ittekimasu (“I’ll be back”) to you, you should say “bye” with itterasshai (eet-teh-rahsh-shah-ee), or “See you when you get back.”
- Ja, ittekimasu.（じゃ、いってきます。）= Well, I’ll be back.
- Hai, itterasshai.（はい、いってらっしゃい。）= Yup, see you when you get back.
Say arigatō gozaimashita (‘thank you’) as you take leave of service providers
For people who provide services (like taxi drivers, store clerks, and other such employees), you can express your gratitude and say “goodbye” in one go with arigatō gozaimashita (ah-ree-gah-toh goh-zah-ee-mahsh-tah).
- Arigatō gozaimashita.（ありがとうございました。）= Thank you!
Note that this is different from arigatō gozaimasu, the standard way to say “thank you” in Japanese. Gozaimashita is the past tense of gozaimasu, so you’re thanking the person for something that has already happened (in this case, whatever service was rendered).
Say gochisōsama deshita (‘thank you for the meal’) after a meal
At bars, izakaya, and restaurants, there’s a unique word you can use to say “goodbye”: gochisōsama deshita (“goh-chee-soh-sah-mah dehsh-tah”). It means “thank you for the meal,” and you say it after you’ve finished your food.
- Gochisōsama deshita.（ごちそうさまでした。）= Thank you for the meal.
Say osaki ni shitsurei shimasu at work for ‘excuse me for leaving ahead of you’
When you leave work at the end of the day, it’s polite to say “bye” to your coworkers with osaki ni shitsurei shimasu (oh-sah-kee nee shee-tsoo-rehh shee-mahs). It literally means “I am going to be rude ahead of you,” but it’s really just nodding to the fact that you’re saying “goodbye” before your coworker leaves for the day.
Depending on who you’re saying it to at work, you can say osaki ni shitsurei shimasu a few different ways:
- For close coworkers: Osaki ni.（お先に。）
- For colleagues and superiors: Osaki ni shitsurei shimasu（お先に失礼します。）
- For people at work you want to be extra formal with: Osaki ni shitsurei itashimasu（お先に失礼致します。）
You can also drop osaki ni and just say shitsurei shimasu to politely say “bye” at work before the workday is over, like after a meeting.
- Shitsurei shimasu.（お先に失礼します。）= Please excuse me.
Say otsukaresama deshita to your coworkers for ‘thank you for your hard work’
As your coworkers or classmates around you go home, the polite way to say “goodbye” is to thank them for their work with otsukare sama deshita (oh-tsoo-kah-reh sah-mah desh-tah). It literally implies that the other person is tired from working (otsukare comes from “fatigue”), but it’s a standard expression.
- Osaki ni shitsurei shimasu.（お先に失礼します。）= Excuse me for leaving ahead of you.
- Otsukare sama deshita!（お疲れ様でした！）= Bye, thanks for your hard work!
Dos and don’ts when saying ‘goodbye’ in Japan
Saying “goodbye” goes beyond the words you use (as does saying “hello” in Japanese). Being aware of the situation and knowing what is appropriate in Japan will help you part ways on a good note.
To politely say “bye” in Japan, you should do the following:
- No matter what Japanese words you use to say “bye,” you should bow. For casual situations, you can bow with just a bob of the head, while it would be better to bow at the waist in more formal situations.
- Choose the right “bye” for the situation. For example, you wouldn’t want to casually say mata ne! (“See you again soon!”) to your boss, and it would be overly formal and odd to tell your friend ittekimasu! (“I’ll be back!”) if you won’t be back right away.
On the other hand, these things should be avoided when saying “bye” in Japan:
- Do not add physical touches like hugging, cheek kissing, or even handshakes to your goodbye gesture unless you’re very close to the other person (and even then, make sure they’re okay with it). A bow or a wave is all you need!
- You don’t need to say “bye” to everyone you see (such as store or restaurant employees). A quick bow is usually plenty for people you haven’t actually spent any time with.
How to write ‘goodbye’ in Japanese
In a text, you can casually say “goodbye” in Japanese the same way you would say so in person (e.g., you can say bai bai if you know how to type katakana). In emails or letters, you have a few options for closing words:
- ~yori (～より): From [name] (polite)
- yoroshiku onegaishimasu (よろしくお願いします): Thank you in advance. (polite)
- keigu (敬具): Sincerely, [name] (formal)
Depending on how casual or formal the communication is, you can also just sign off with your name. No matter how you choose to say “goodbye” in Japanese, knowing your options is essential, just as it is when learning to say “goodbye” in different languages.
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